Pump



- Get. 9, 1928. A. W. BURKS Y PUMP Filed Dec.-ll, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y F- l0 X5 I iiiiiiiiin :U ing Patented @et 9, 1928.

ARTHUR W. BURKS, lOIE' DECAT'UR, ILLINOIS.

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Application .tiled December 1.1, 1925. Serial No. 74,807.

j The present invention relates to pumps, and more particularly to pumps of the type which comprises a casing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, respectively, for the reception .and discharge of Huid and a' rotor br impeller therein, provided with a' .plurality of fluid impelling buckets or vanes. As specific examples of such pumps, reference is had to vmy cope'nding application Serial No. 444,830, ledFeb. 14, 1921, and Serial No. 474,100, filed June 1, 1921.

This type of pump has been found to be highly eiiicient in actual use, when construct.- ed in accordance with the disclosure of said applications.

An' objection, however, Which develops is that at times the vpump Will very unexpectedly fail to deliver Huid, either" gas, suchV as air, or liquid. In other Words, the rotor i0 simply revolves Without receiving or discharging air or liquid.

' An objectof the invention is to provide means which Will prevent these interruptions in the operation of the pump, and which will, furthermore, render the same eiiicient in Working with a gaseous fluid, suchv as air.

A further object of the inventionA is 4to provide means for bodily adjusting the rotor relative to the casing, wherebya substantially duid-tight seal may be`maintained between at least one face of the rotor. and the casing wall. 1

The invention comprises broadly the pro-l.' vision of a chamber or pocket, preferably outside the discharge' openingand ltherethrough, in communication with the buckets of the rotor. the chamber being arranged to yretain a body of liquid which receives' a whirling movement from the rotor as the Blatter is operated. Thechamber is of a size Lsuiiicient to'pe'rmit the fluid. When givema whirling movement, to be `formed into a substantially continuous circular Wall with the air which is discharged from'4 the imj jl peller passing to the center of the moving body and onwardly from the chamber.

l When liquid isx'being pumped, the -same will remain' within -the chamber in' `suiiicient quantities to maintain constantly the whirlj body'described. The chamber is-so conv structed and arranged that when gaseous.

Vvcomprises -a stationary bearing in which located a raceway for-roller bearings; A f

fluid, such as air, is being pumped, a body of liquid injected into the chamber Will re main therein, and only thek pumped air will be discharged,the same passing through the body ofliquid in the manner described.

In other Words, the" invention comprises the arrangement of a 'liquid pocket or charnber preferably at the discharge opening of the pump, and, more'speciiically, the chamber is arranged so that the whirling luid-4 therein travels in'a. path to which the path of the krotor and its buckets is substantially tangential. A The whirling fluid repeatedly engages the buckets as they pass the outlet opening through 'which the chamber is in communication with thevbucket and the interior of the casing.'-

ln this type of pump itis desirable to provide a substantially Huid-tight seal or joint between at least one lateralface of the rotor and the casing, this seal being ordinarily disposed radially with respect to the buckets) and racevvay. 1n the particular embodiment of* the invention here-in disclosed, a seal is effected on both sides of the series of vbuckets. In order to maintain only the necessary Working clearance between the face of the rotor and the casing, there is positioned upon the exterior of the casing a means for bodilyadjusting the rotor relativeto the casing. This means in the present instance` rotary drive shaft extends. through this bearing and is longitudiiiallyshiftable to adjust the rotor relative-tothe casing, the 5 adjustment means `comprising plugs ar-..

ranged within the bearing. -In the accompanying drawings lthere is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, and in these drawings l Figure lis a face view of the pump with the liquid chamber shown in vertical sec-I tlOIl. n s

Figurex2 is being taken'through the structure shown in Figure 1, on substantially the line 2-2.

Figure 3 isa horizontal section on the line. 3-3- of Figure 2. f

Figure 4 is a horizontalsection on the line 4 4 of Figure 2,"and

a vertical section, the same' Figure y'is a fragmentary view of the in ner face of the casinn section provided with the raceway and the inlet and discharge openings.

In the drawings indicates a casing section which is interiorly recessed to form a marginal flange or wall 11, having afacc rib 12, which interfits with the peripheral lfiange 13 on a second Casing section 14 secured to the section 10, as `by means of bolts 15 passing through the `two sections.

rithin the casing is positioned a rotor element 16, which is fixedly mounted'upon a. rotorjshaft 17 byaneans of abeveled. enlargement 18 upon the shaft Within a centrally arranged aperture in the rotor, the aperture being correspondingly tapered so thatthey rotor may be locked upon' the enlargement 18 by means of a lock nut 19 threaded upon the'shaft.. It will be noted that the end 20 of the shaft is spaced from the endr rounds a. bushing 27 -upon the shaft, the latter being fixedly held against a .shoulder 23 on the shaft. by Va lock nut 29. At opposite sides of the roller bearing are positioned collars 30, 30, having peripheral extending flange portions 31, "the collars being slidable longitudinally of the shaft and abutting adjnsting nuts 82, 32, threaded within the bearing and having sockets 33, `Which may be engaged by 'a ISpanner Wrench or similar tool. As will be understood, adjustment of these nuts will shift the rotor shaft longitudinally, due to the abutmentof the plugs with the collars,vwhich in turn -abut the cage for the roller bearings. I A

The purpose oithis adjustment is to maintain a suitable. working clearance between the rotor 16 and the-casing, the desirability et' which will be clearer'as' the construction of the rot'or and the cooperating parts of the' casing is described.

Referring to therotor, lthe same consists of a relatively flat o'r disc-like element, which has a circular series of buckets arranged onl faces, in th present instance in a, lateral face, of the rotor-and 'cooperating with a circular fluid raceway 36', the casing section 1,4 having an inlet opening 37 communicating with said raceway and therethrough with a discharge opening'38, In order to close the raceway at. each side, the rotor makes a substantially fluid-tight joint on opposite sides thereof with the easing, and the effectiveness cf this joint is' improved by means of coat-ting ribs and grooves 3S) upon the casing and rotor. -Of course, it is necessary to maintain between theo rotor and the' casing at these interfitting ribs and grooves a. suitable working clearance so that objectionable friction will not be set up. The provision of the adjustable bearing heretofore described permits this and after wear has occurred, it is simply necessary to 'adjust the bearing to take up suoli clearance as permits leakage, thus avoiding the necessity for renewing either the rotor or the Y casing.

It will be understood that the Huid being pumped may be either air or liquid or both, and the same will enter t-he casing through the inlet opening 37, where it will be engaged by the' buckets of the rotor as the latter is operated and carried through the raceufay in the casing to the discharge opening 33, the fluid being operated upon by the buckets in a" manner which will be fully understood by one familiar with the oper- ,c ation of this type of pump.

As hasbeen bef-ore explained, this type of pump has not heretofore been particularly efiicient when operating upon gaseous fluidl alone, suchfas air, and, furthermore, When pumping liquid the discharge therefrom is often suddenly interrupted, although movement of the rotor continues. For the pur-e pose of rendering the pump efficient in operating upon gaseous fluid, and to avoid this failure in operation, therel is provided nmeans for maintaining in communication ,with the buckets, a body of liquid which Will be given a continuous movement by the rptor as it is operated; and it is found that this ar- Iangenient prevents the rotor from ceasing j to function satisfactorily, or` inv other Words',

from becoming air bound, as this condition may be conveniently termed.

Preferably, the body `of liquid is maintained at the'outlet'opening 38, and for this purpose there is provided al chamber 40 outside the discharge opening 38, and communicating through' the latter With theA vbuckets. of the rotor which pass the discharge opening .as the rotor is operated. It will be understood that the raceway eX- tends around the casing 'from the inlet opening 37 to the discharge opening 38 (Figvnu ure -5) andthe fiuid travels therethrough ina counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1. However, the casing is not formed With a raceway in the short space between the two openings,.the raceway at thispoint being closedby a short Wall orvweb 41 (Fig; 5), which parallels and closely fits against the face of the rotor to prevent the passage of any substantial amount of air or liquid from the discharge opening to the inlet openl; ing after the same has been once conducted by the rotor through the'raceway. lt will be noted that the wall or -web 41 begins immediately at the discharge opening 38 (Fig. 3) and forms a portion of the wall of the chamber 40. This chambervhas' its bottom 42 arranged in a plane substantially intersecting the inner edge of the series of buckets as they pass thedischarge opening. The chamber is open at its top and has leading therefrom a discharge passage 43, which progressively tapers in cross section away from the chamber and communicates with of centrifugal force naturally seek the wall 45 and will have a whirling motion. The

repeated ydischarges into the chamber will impart force'to the liquid ahead and the result will be the formation of a whirling bodv of liquid, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 3. As the body of liquid whirls, the same will, of course, pass the opening 38, and, under the iniiuence of centrifugal force, will tend to pass back through the outlet opening and thus engage the buckets through this opening". The setting up of undesirable eddy currents at the opening 38 is `satisfactorily avoided by the upward curving of the discharge .opening 38, as indi'- cated at 47. This curve which corresponds to the curve of the-raceway and series of buckets naturally causes the incoming fluid to be thrown upwardly andthe whirling liquid within the chamber will engage the buckets at the lower end 49 (Figure 1).."n

It has been observedthat inthe loperation ofthe pump any gaseous iuid,.such as air,

l Vwillseek the center oft-hel whirling body of liquid within thech'amber-40, since the liquid therein will bel arranged in arelatively narrow moving jwall. The aii` will .pass on through the outlet passage 43`.^and the liquid will remain within the chamber in sufficient quantities to maintainconstantly the whirl-v ing body referred to whichrefeives its 'movement due to the repeated introduction of liquid from the propeller into the chamber .and also to repeated engagement with "the buckets' during itsl whirling movementl The tapering outlet passage`43 is provided l for-the purpose offmaintaining further on in the discharge linethe vrelatively high pressure which is found Vto exist in thehamber where ,the water has a whirling action;

' eter to the diameter of the outlet pipe 44' an abrupt change from the-chamber. diamwould result in a loss of this pressure.

Furthermore, when the pump islou'perating upon gaseous Huid alone, as, for instance, when building up air pressure in the pumping system, the taper servesto retain in the chamber the body of fluidd which is introduced thereinto for the purpose of providing` the water seal at' the discharge opening.

ln the operation of the pump, upon 'gaseous fluid such as air, a certain amount of liquid'will be introduced into the chamber "40, for instance, through'a priming opening l49l in the discharge passage'43, and-thenl the inlet opening 37 will be placed in communication with a source of air or other' thereof toprovide the whirling body here. 1

inbeforedescribed.

V.@bviously numerous changesmay be made in the structure illustrated and described" without departing from the invention, the essential features of which are set forth in the following claims.

1. In a pump, a casing having a iuid in-l let and a fluid outlet, a rotor in said casing having fluid impelling buckets thereon, andl a chamber disposed adj acentfthe path of said buckets, said chamber being in communica# tion with the rotor"` through an. opening and being arrangedto retain a body of liquidv therein andto permit the Isame torreceive from the buckets through said opening a movement in which it Aengages the buckets as the rotor is operated. 'i

`2. In a pump,fa casing a fluid inletl and aiuid outlet, a rotor in said casing having fluid impelling buckets thereon, and

f` a chamber disposed adjacent the path of said ebuckets, said chamberbeing in communication with the rotor through an opening and.l

being arranged to retain a body uf liquid therein and to permit. the same to receive) from the buckets through said opening a whirling movement 'in 'which it engages the 'buckets as, the rotor is operated.

3. In a -pump', a casing having a ylet and aI fluid outlet, a rotor in said casing buckets, saidcha'mbe'r'bing in communicafluid in; l

` having fluidfimpelling buckets thereon, and 1 a-chamber-di'sp'osed adjacent the path of said and -to permit the same to be engaged bythe buckets land to receive therefromthrough said. opening a movement-in which it engages the buckets as the rbtorv operated, I. said chamber being disposed to permit movement of the fluid thereinv through a path with respect to which the path of said buckets is substantially tangential.

4. In a pump, a casing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a rotor in said casing having fluid impelling buckets thereon, and a'chamber at said outlet opening communieating through the same withthe buckets, the chamber serving to receive and retain liquid discharged through the opening andV being arranged to have imparted to the liquid therein by said buckets a continuous movement.

. l n u c u 5. In a pump, a casing having a fluid 1nlet and a fluid outlet,y a rotor in said casing let and a fluid outlet, a rotor in said casingl having fluid impelling buckets thereon, and a chamber at said outlet opening communieating through the same with the buckets,

the chamber serving to receive and to have pass therethrough gaseous fluid discharged Athrough the opening and serving to retain a body of liquidwhich has imparted thereto by said buckets awhirling ,movement.

7. In a pump, a casing having a fluid 1n- `let and a fluid outlet, a rotor 1n sa1d casing having fluid impelling buckets thereon, anda chamber at said outlet opening communicating through the same with the buckets, thev chamber serving to receive and to have pass therethrough gaseous fluid discharged Vthrough the opening and serving to retain a body of liquid which has imparted thereto by said buckets a whirling movement in which the liquid is engaged by the buckets as they pass said openinmv 8. In a pump, a casing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a rotor in said casing having fluid impelling buckets thereon, and a chamber at said outlet opening communicating through the same with the buckets',

the chamber serving to retain constant-ly a bodyY of the liquid discharged through the opening and being arranged to have imparted `tothe liquid'therein by said buckets -a whirling movement.

9. In a pump, a casing having `a, fluid ini let'and a fluid outlet, a rotor in said casing having fluid impelling buckets thereon, and a chamber at said outlet opening communicating through the 'same withl the buckets, the chamber serving to retain constantly 'a body of'the liquid discharged-throughthe opening and being arranged 4to have imparted A'to the liquid therein by said buckets a whirling movement in which the same is engaged by the buckets as they pass said opening, said buckets having a path of tra-vely substantially tangential to the path f said fluid in the chamber.

l0. In a pump, a casing having a fluid inletand a fluidoutvlet, a rotor in said easing having fluid' impclling buckets thereon, a chamber disposed adjacent the path of Said buckets, said chamber heilig in comn'iunication with the rotor throughan opening and being arranged to retain a body of liquid which receives from the buckets through said opening a movement in which it engages the buckets as the" rotor is operated, and an outlet passage of progressively reducing area leading from said chaniber..

11. In a pump, a casing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a rotor in said casing having fluid impelling buckets thereon, a chamber disposed adjacent the path of said buckets, said chamber' being in-con'nnimication with the rotor through an opening and beingarranged to retain a` body of liquid and to permit the same to be engaged by the buckets'and to receive therefrom through said opening a movement "in which itV en-' gages the buckets as the rotor is operated,

said chaml er being disposed to permit movement of tlie fluidtherein through a path with respect to which the path of said buckets .is substantially tangential, and an outlet passage ,of progressively reducing area leading from said chamber.v

l2. In a pump, a casing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a rotor in said casing having fluid impelling buckets therein, a chamber at said outlet opening communicating through the same with the buckets, the chamber serving to receive and retain liquid discharged through the opening and being arranged to have imparted to the liquid therein by said buckets a continuous move- A ment, and an outlet passage of progressively reducing area leading from said chamber., l

13. In a pump, a casingA having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a rotor in said casing having fluid ii'npelling buckets thereon, a lchamber at said outlet opening communicating through the same with the buckets` the chamber serving to reeeive andretain liquid discharged' through the opening and being arranged to have imparted to the liquid therein' by said buckets a continuous movement in which the liquid is engaged by the buckets as they pass said opening,l and an outlet passage of progressively reducing area leading from said chamber.

lll. In a pump, a casinghaviug a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. a rotor in said casing having fluid impelling buckets thereona chamber at said .outlet opening communicating through the same with the buckets, the chamber serving to receive and to have pass lll therethrough gaseous fluid discharged through the opening and heilig arranged to retain a body of liquid which has imparted thereto by said buckets a whirling movement, and an outlet passage of progressively reducing area leading from said chamber.

15. In a pump, arotor having a plurality of bucketsa casing in association with the rotor having'an inlet and having lan outlet opening, and means for maintaining at said outlet opening a moving body of liquid which is given a whirling movement by said rotor as it is operated, and the liquid repeatedly passing said opening in said whirling movement.

16. In a pump, a rotor having a plurality of buckets, a casing in association with the rotor havingan inlet and having an outlet opening, and means :tor maintaining at said outlet openino a moving body of liquid which is given awlirling movement by said rotor as it is operated, said body of liquid engaging said buckets as they pass said opening and the liquidrepeatedly passing said opening in said whirling movement.

17. ln a pump, a rotor, a casing in association with the rotor having an inlet and having an outlet opening, and means for maintaining/at said outlet opening'a moving-body of liquid which is given a whirling movement, innwhich it repeatedlypasses said opening, by said rotor as the latter is operated, said means beingOrmed to eect the discharge of gaseous yfluid' from thel rotor through said body of liquid, while retaining ythe liquid lbody in operative association with saidlrotor through said opening.

`18. Ina pump, a rotor having aplurality of buckets, a casing in association with the' rotor yhaving an inlet andi havin an outlet opening, and means for maintaining at said outlet opening a i moving body of liquid which is given awhirlingmovement by saidv rotor as it is operated, said body of liquid engaging said buckets as they. ass said open` i ing and the liquid repeated y@ passing said l means in said whirling movement, said ing formed to permit the discharge of aseous fluid from the rotor through said opening e bo y of liquid, while retaining the body in l 'operative association with said rotor.

. tainingl a body of liquid in position t0 have imparted] thereto by said rotor a whirl! 19. Iiia pump, a casing, a substantially circular fluid-raceway therein, saidl casing having an inlet opening and an' outlet Vopening, a rotor having a substantially circular marginalI series of buckets cooperating with said raceway, the rotor niaking la sul stantially Water-tight jointwiththe casingv radially inwardly-from said raceway," Aand means outside the outlet opening for mainf ing movement.

20. -In a lpump, a casing, ansubstantially circular fluid eraceway therein, -said casing having an inlet opening and an outlet open-r ing, a rotor having a substantially circular marginal series of buckets cooperating with having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, a rotorhaving a substantially circular marginal series of buckets cooperatin 'with said raceway, ther'otor making a su stantially `water-tight joint with the casing radially inwardly from said raceway;J and a, chamber outside said raceway'at saidoutlet opening serving to retain'a body of liquid` which is given a whirling movement as the rotor is operated.

22. ln a pump, a casing, a substantially circular fluid raceway therein, said casing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, a rotor having a substantially circular marginal series of buckets cooperating with said raceway, the rotort making a substan-l tially water-tight joint with the casing radiu ally inwardly from said raceway, and a chamber outside said raceway at said outlet'f opening serving to retain abody of liquid which is given a whirling movement as the` rotor is-Operated, said chamberbeing `constructed to retain the li uid/'therein' while4 gaseous fluidisfrece'ived rom said impeller and to permit the latter to passtherefrom., f

. 23. In a. pump, a rotor having a" marginal j series of blades forming buckets, a. casin having a race-way making .a` substantially water-tightfit, with the 'rottiradially inwardly from said series offblads to resisty 'radial movement of the fluid 'inwardlyitromsaid raceway, the asing having an inletAv opening and an outlet opening'communino@ v eating with the raceway, and means accessible exteriorly of the casing for bodily adpjusting the rotor Ilaterali relative to the cas-'f ing to maintain a suitabe working clearance and water-tight fitbetweeri the rotor aiid casing. y, ,f v 24.1n a pumpa'rotor having a series -of blades forming buckets' on a lateral face thereof, disposed inwardly from the rim of therotor whereby to provide a laterally ,dis-

posed surface arranged outside the series of blades, a casingfor said rotor making a substantially Huid-tight fitv therewith radially inwardly and outwardly from;` the series of Jblades and formingA with the rotor a sub- 125 having an inlet opening and'lioutlet opening communicating witlithe raceway, and,

iso

the casing whereby to maintain a suitable 'working clearance therebetween radially inwardly and outwardly from the raceway and f t0 maintain said water-tight it. n y 25. In a pump, a rotor having a series of `blades forming buckets on a lateral face tight fit therewith radially inwardly and loutwardly from the series ofV blades, and

forming with the rotor a substantially closed fluid raceway, the casing having an inletY opening and an outlet opening communicating with the raceway, and means accessible exteriorly of the casing for axially adjusting said shaft and thereby bodily adjusting the rotor laterally with respect'to said casing whereby to maintain a suitable Working clearance between the rotor and casing radially inwardly and outwardly from said series of blades and to maintain said watertight it.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. i'

ARTHUR w. BUrKsj y 

